Mask of A Legend (25 page)

Jenny abruptly pushed her way in through the door and looked around the mansion, saying, “My God, this place is huge!”

“Leave now,” Sylvia shouted.

Jenny ran up the stairs in search of Legend.

“Where are you hiding her?” Jenny said. She came up to the top of the stairs and walked down the hallway.

While Jenny was looking for Legend, Sylvia ran to the backyard. “That girl just broke in your house!”

“What girl?” Stephen asked. Legend just looked at him with a puzzled expression.

“That, that, that Jenny thing, she busted her fat body through the door,” replied Sylvia. Legend and Stephen entered through the back door, looking for Jenny.

“Where did that girl go, Sylvia?” Legend asked.

“Up the stairs.”

As Legend and Stephen ran up the stairs, Jenny entered a room where she saw a sleeping figure. She walked up to it, thinking it was Legend, and said, “Well, well, well, if it isn’t miss Sleeping Beauty!” She took off the covers, only to reveal her worst enemy. The silver spoon.

“My God, you fat bitch,” Dina said. She got up from her bed, and pushed at Jenny’s large stomach. “How dare you come in my room, and abrupt my beauty sleep.”

“Where’s Legend?” Jenny then pushed Dina back.

As they fought, Stephen ran into the bedroom, while Legend still ran toward it, and asked, “Who the hell are you?”

“I didn’t realize that wanting to see my good friend would be such a struggle, a hassle. I’m Jenny Smithers, I’m Legend’s best friend.”

Stephen walked up to her and looked her in the eye.

“Yeah right,” Stephen said. “The only best friend she has is Dina. You’re just a crazed fan.”

Jenny gave a saddened face, but refused to be treated like a stranger. “Oh my God, the world is ending, she is not best friends with Dina! Listen, I met you, Mr. Drakson, at that modeling thing last November. I met you, with Legend. I’m her best friend!”

Stephen still didn’t believe her, his memory didn’t serve him.

Legend ran in the room, saw Jenny, and said, “Oh my God, Jenny?” Legend ran up to her and gave her a hug. “What are you doing here?”

“Yeah, I was just asking her the same thing,” Dina said, though a kind voice took over. Her mental mask went on again. “I was just saying how nice it was to see her.”

Jenny broke free from Legend’s hug and said, “Listen, Legend, could we go somewhere private? I really have to talk to you.”

J
enny sat inside of Legend’s house, holding a glass of lemonade, admiring her red velvet décor, from the walls to the curtains. “So, this is quite a life you have now, Legend.”

Legend sat down on her leather couch, and placed her feet on a red, silken carpet. “Yeah, I like it. So, how have you been? Are you in college now?”

“Yeah I go to U.I.C., I’m taking up drama. But next year I’m going to New York University,” replied Jenny. Legend took a drink of her champagne that was held in a crystal glass. “You never used to drink before.”

Legend looked up at her, saying with a smile, “Yeah, well, I don’t know, I like the taste of champagne. . . . So, um, how have you been, besides with school?” Legend then got up from the couch.

“The question is, how have you been?”

Legend turned to her and stared. “Well, I’ve been fine. So, um, how long are going to stay in California?” Legend tried to stray away from Jenny’s question.

“Two weeks, I leave November fourteenth. So I hear that you’re going to come out with a perfume?”

“Oh, they’re just going to put my name on it, that’s all. But it’s coming out next week,” said Legend, taking another sip of her drink.

“That’s cool. You have it all, Legend.” Jenny looked around the room and stared at this fabulous sight of a mansion. She then stared at Legend, knowing Legend was happy and content with her new life. “I mean, I can’t miss you, only because your photo is on every billboard in Chicago, or every magazine cover. As a matter of fact, I’m sick of seeing your face,” Jenny explained with a smile. Jenny wanted it to seem like a joke to Legend, but really there was some deep meaning in her words.

“Oh, gee, thanks.” Legend took another swig of her champagne. She felt there was another meaning to Jenny’s last comment, but she placed it in the back of her mind, or at least tried to.

“I’m just joking. . . . I guess I’m like most girls who idolize you, I look forward to hearing your words on television when you’re giving speeches, or else seeing your photos, and realizing that one day I could look like that.” Jenny’s voice was mixed with a little sarcasm, as some sort of anger was building. Suddenly, the pressure of the anger building inside busted out orally. “Legend, what’s this I hear that you’re best friends with Dina?”

“Where did that come from?” Legend placed her glass of champagne down on a coffee table.

“It came from nowhere, I just heard that you two are friends.”

“Well, I’m not best friends with her, but I’m a friend. I mean, she’s not the same Dina she was in the past, she changed. I mean, sometimes I think it’s just an act, but now I feel that Dina has really changed for the better.”

Jenny began to smile.

“Yeah right. Legend, Dina’s a bitch, and you know that. But that’s not why I came over here.” Legend picked up her glass again and began drinking her liquor heavily. It was as if Legend knew why Jenny came to see her, and that caused her nerves to build, and her anxiety to grow a larger structure to it.

“Well, why did you then?”

“Legend, your mother’s worried sick about you. We saw your speech about abused women, and your mother started crying. She thought that you did forgive her, and for that, she felt that you and her had a bond again.”

“I know, but I feel that I have to leave that life behind, I don’t like that life. I’m accepted here, and for that, I don’t want to see her – I’ll remember the way she treated me, and those evil names she called me.” Legend’s voice quivered and tears were filling her mind.

“She’s the only mother you have. . . . Legend, I accepted you, and you want to forget about me?” asked Jenny. It was as if tears were building inside of her throat and causing her tone to lower itself.

“No, it’s just–”

“Legend, you are wearing a mask of something, because you have changed. I tried to contact you so many times, but I never found you. I always expected a call or a letter, but nothing, nothing came from you. That hurt me, and is still hurting me!”

“I am not wearing a mask, you don’t know me,” Legend shouted. Jenny got up from the couch and walked up to her.

“You are too, and I’m the only one who knows it. Something has changed you, ever since you became beautiful overnight, and left for London, you have changed. I mean, look around you, you have it all, but you still never contact the ones who love you the most,” Jenny yelled. Legend poured herself another glass of champagne in a fast manner, and drank it heavily. “Sure, you’re famous, you have it all, and you’re a goddess, for crying out loud, but you still have people who love and loved you before all of this happened!”

“You listen to me, I do remember the people who cared for me in the past, very few, but I remember. I have all of this because of my inner beauty,” Legend said in drunkenness. She drank her liquor more.

“Inner beauty? No, you have all of this because of your beauty, period. Your fame, riches, and luxuries are all because of this beauty you possessed overnight!” Legend walked away from her and headed for the staircase. “Don’t you walk away from me.”

Legend started running up the staircase. “I worked for all of this. This mansion, my fame, and riches, all of this is because of me, not my beauty, but me. You’re just jealous,” Legend cried.

Jenny ran after her up the stairs. “Jealous? Jealous? Hey, I’m not jealous of something that’s fake!”

Legend turned around with a scared look on her drunken, tear-drenched face. She stood in the middle of her staircase. “What do you mean, fake?”

“You heard me, I said fake. You don’t belong in this life, Legend. You were ugly before, but suddenly you became beautiful, and for that, you feel that you suddenly belong in this lifestyle. All those speeches you gave, you never once admitted about your ugly past. You never once said you had massive acne, all you said was your mother and father used to abuse you and call you ugly names. All those magazine articles about you, you always stretched the truth, and got past telling them about the real Legend Conaway,” Jenny shouted. Legend walked back down the staircase and grabbed her champagne glass. As soon as Legend walked back up the stairs, Jenny shouted, “That’s why you’re a fake!”

“I am not a fake, I am truthful in my speeches to young women, and any other speech I gave, or give. I’m a model, for Christ’s sake, but I still show my inner self by giving speeches that are truthful and honest. I don’t have to do that, but I do. You’re just jealous,” shouted Legend, walking back up the staircase with her glass. “And I didn’t forget about you either, I was just too busy to call you.” Legend’s tears fell with her words, rushing out of her mind and through the mouth.

“Legend, as soon as you left for London, it was like you wanted to forget about all of us, and especially me. Face it, you wanted to forget about me and your mother, and your ugly past.” Jenny was calmer and tears started to shield her eyes, while Legend wiped hers away with her champagne glass.

“Why don’t you get a life, fat ass!” Legend was drunk and the echoes of those evil words caused Jenny’s shield of tears to break. It was like a bullet rushing into Jenny’s mind, she couldn’t believe Legend spoke those words to her. “You’re jealous of me – I’m skinny, and I’m beautiful, but you’re still fat!” Jenny’s tears showed more, and Legend’s mind absorbed sadness from them. Legend blinked her eyes twice, and looked up at the ceiling in confusion, not believing those words of evil came from her own mouth.

Jenny wiped her tears away. Legend became speechless: it was like she didn’t want to say another word, it might have sinister in it. Jenny gave out a small smile of sadness. “You know, Legend . . . my whole life I have been . . . been called fat names, and you were the only one who never said them to me.” Jenny’s tears showed themselves to Legend more. “For that, you were special, because you treated me with respect!” Jenny then paused and turned away from Legend, it was like the pain was too unbearable. For that, she had to turn away from where the pain was caused. “I guess you have it all now. . . . You have fame, fortune, luxury, beauty . . . and the heart of a bitch,” Jenny quivered, her tears running out, and Legend’s eyes caught their sight even more. “All of your dreams came true, I guess. . . . Goodbye, Legend Conaway, and have a nice life.” Jenny walked her obese body down the stairs and came up to the foyer. Before she opened the door, she lingered her face toward Legend’s image, as it stood in the middle of the staircase still. She wiped her last tear away, and said, “You say that your mother is a drunk? Well, take a good look in the mirror. Oh, I forgot, you don’t look at your reflection.”

Jenny faced back toward the doorway and exited it. Legend sat down on her staircase, and broke her new shield away, causing her new tears to fall at a greater speed. She then looked at the doorway and said, “No.” She got up from the stair and ran for her friend that she called ‘best.’ Her drunken legs guided her to Jenny and ran directly in front of her hurtful image. She gave Jenny a tight hug and cried, “Jenny, I’m so sorry for that. Please, don’t go, please forgive me.” She then released her from the hug. “Please, I don’t know who I am anymore. I mean, I didn’t forget about you, I swear. . . . You’re my best friend, and you’ll always be my best friend. Please, just pretend that I didn’t call you that!”

Jenny turned to face the gate where a crowd of fans stood behind. She looked back at Legend and cried, “Why did you forget about me? And why did you call me that name?”

Jenny felt alone; she always had Legend by her side, but now, since she called her that name, she felt that Legend wasn’t like her anymore. “I’m so sorry, Jenny.”

Legend was overwhelmed with confusion, she didn’t know why those sinister words came from her mouth, and didn’t know why she even allowed them to be heard to Jenny’s innocent mind. Legend realized her bond with Jenny, she realized it after forgetting that she had one. But she still had to answer Jenny’s question. Jenny stared at Legend. “Why, Legend? Why are you looking up to Dina as a friend, after she made fun of me and you so much in the past?”

“I don’t know why, Jenny. But all I know is I’m sorry. Please, please forget that I ever called you that, and forgive me. Please?”

Jenny wiped her tears, and then looked at the crowd of fans again. She looked over at Legend’s mansion, and then stared at Legend’s mask of beauty. “Legend, I can’t forget . . . but I forgive you.”

They gave a tight embrace, a hug that Legend hadn’t felt in a long time. They went back inside of her house and Legend said, “I’m the bad person here, it’s all my fault for us arguing like this.”

“No, Legend, it’s my fault.” Jenny sat down on the sofa and added, “I am jealous of you. I shouldn’t have come over here only to bitch at you for not calling me. I was wrong, and I’m sorry also for causing you to cry!” Jenny then picked up an empty champagne glass from the coffee table, and poured herself some liquor with a half-empty champagne bottle. “Just promise me that you’ll never change for anyone. Promise me that you’ll always be the same Legend that I knew before.” Jenny held up her champagne glass high in the air and Legend did the same. “Also, promise me that you’ll never wear a mask to anyone, and that you’ll be truthful with this new life, or else, with the ones you love.”

Legend hit her glass with hers and took a swig of her glass, looking at her face in the reflection of the glass itself. She looked down at Jenny. “I, um, I promise. . . .” Legend walked slowly over to her window and looked outside at her fans. She then glanced over to Stephen’s mansion and saw him on his front lawn. While Jenny drank her champagne, Legend stared at Stephen and whispered, “Yeah, I promise I’ll be truthful with the ones I love.”